Fantastic Friday

I got a good night's sleep (for me anyway)- huzzah! Man it's been hard to roll out of bed this morning so I'm taking the opportunity to wake up slow. I woke up at around 7 but managed to laze in bed until 830ish just being comfy= worth it. 

Did some light stretching, put on some tea and am now sitting down with a big bowl of oats (applesauce, cinnamon, and chopped almonds with some nonfat milk), a my giant mug of green tea, and a little bowl of 1/2 cup yogurt and frozen berries (apparently I was in the mood for a bit of fruit). It's ideal. I can't find my camera amid the clothes strewn on my floor right now, but it isn't very photogenic anyway. Funny, I've always been a believer in the "you eat with your eyes first" concept; but now I find myself trying to make my food look even more appealing than usual ;)

(I am NOT this good, :) but bendy-ish. I have horrifying balance, haha)

I think I'll take it easy today work out wise- I'm a bit sore from impromptu bootcamp- or maybe do a quick indoor circuit and some yoga. Does anyone know a good website with yoga routines? Preferably free? I've either been just going with moves in my head that I already know or using youtube, but I wouldn't mind trying a video of some sort.

For lunch, I packed a sandwich on Arnolds Double Fiber bread with babaganoosh, artichoke hearts, turkey ham, rice cheese (trying it because the actual cheese I've been using lately has given me Horrible stomach cramps), and spinach. Also, I'm bringing an apple (the last in the bag :( Good thin it's the farmers market tomorrow- bad thing it's supposed to be raining) which I'll hopefully munch on Walking to campus, if the weather holds. 

Tonight is 'friday adventure' with the roommates- they have a tradition of seeing a movie and going out to dinner every friday. It hurts the ol' college budget, but I think it may be worth the splurge ;) I mean, I work! It's tough being a student these days, haha. I think we're going to go see Role Models (I'm pushing for a matinee showing) and then going to a mexican food place they know. 

It's interesting because they've all been going to school here 2-5 years and I'm brand new so I feel like they're constantly giving me a tour! It's nice because honestly, I don't know where things are; however, I'm a bit independent and wouldn't mind doing a little exploration without always having a schedule... but how to bring it up without seeming ungrateful? Ah, I think if I didn't have them showing me around I'd probably get bored pretty dang quick and they always let me go in somewhere that I think 'looks interesting' anyway. Hopefully after dinner we'll get a chance to wander the Huge Borders downtown- bookstores rank among my favorite things.  

I found this article on yahoo about ways to be happier. Though I am a generally happy person, I think it's always good to have little reminders/affirmations just to reassure and remind ourselves of not only how lucky we truly are, but that we are also unique human beings.

Question...? What makes You happy?

- an energizing work out        - food that's good for the body and soul      

-speaking on the phone with someone I love      - laughter that you can't seem to stop

- puppies    - something I've worked on that I'm proud of (finishing the crossword puzzle!)

-listening to stories from other generations       -a good book     

-when my friends succeed

the list goes on, but those are the first that come to mind.

Have a fantastic friday everyone!

sooo over it

So it's a good thing I finished ;)

I'm way relieved. I just finished formatting and finishing checking grammar and other errors (actually, my favorite part) on my tri-term. Overall I'm really pleased with it- this should be what matters; however, in school, you do work for a grade. Alas. UC Santa Cruz only just implemented letter grades a few years ago. It used to be based on teacher evaluations. Some believed it actually encouraged better, more thorough work- But it made it really hard to get into grad school so they 'caught up with the times.' 

I ate the other half of the above trail mix I bought at the cafe a couple of days ago and then had a yogurt and apple to round out the tri-fecta (wow, I'm so fixated on tri's because of that paper, haha).  Unfortunately I was too preoccupied to photo it this morning. 

I finished just in time to catch the end of Price is Right; I guess Drew Carey is an alright substitute, but how I miss good ol' Bob Barker! Now, time to relax, print my paper, and check some blogs. I'm hoping to get in a quick version of Meghann's bootcamp today. It might have to be an indoor version unless the weather clears up a bit. I also still have other schoolwork to do, but the stress is off!

In preparation for very wet weather my mom sent me rain boots! I feel like an awesome lumerjack and had to share- thanks mom. Actually, she doesn't know about this blog. Do your family and friends know about your blogs? How did they react to it, both at first and in time? I keep vacillating between wanting to share with my mom/sis/friends and wanting to keep it just amongst the blog worlds because I feel like I can be exceptionally honest. 

Update (2pm): I was so glad I finished that I decided to go on a five minute walk to the park down the road. I took my book for my class tomorrow with me in hopes that I would still be feeling motivated. Well, a different sort of motivation took hold: the motivation to move! I didn't do much, but I was inspired by Meghann's bootcamp work-out. I did a few jumping jacks and then eased into various body weight strength exercises including: pushups (on my knees :( I can do more that way, but I'm slowly working my way up), squats, crunches, reverse push ups, step ups, reverse crunches (which kicked my butt), and about 5 short suicides. I only did about 15 of each exercise, but I didn't stop in between and it felt good to be outside and get my heart rate up (for however short a time) after being trapped inside with the tri-term.

Yup, this is what I turn into after lack of sleep/paper stress- it's attractive, I know.

Also, I wear contacts or glasses pretty much 100% of the time; I have incredibly poor vision.

Look at the SIZE of this pear (capitalized in order to emphasize the tiny-ness!). I saw them at new leaf and was so amused that I asked the staff about them. Well, score one for customer service- they gave me a couple of them for free! They're really good. They taste a little smoother and sweeter than a regular pear. I don't quite remember what they're called, but it starts with a 'v'.... haha, sorry. I'll check next time I'm at the store.

For lunch I had a sandwich with turkey ham, swiss, babaganoosh, spinach and tomato on two slices of Arnolds High-Fiber bread. It's just as good as the protein variety but has a heartier taste- perhaps it's just because I didn't toast it? Either way, I love them both for different reasons; but this lunch benefitted from the extra fiber as opposed to extra protein. On the side I snacked on celery filled with babaganoosh- I'm trying to use it up before it goes bad.

Off to go turn in that paper and go to a couple classes- fun fun. See you later!

sleepless

hmmm, 413 a.m.... odd.... I'll use this sleepless night for some quality paper writing time I guess and hope to get to bed early tomorrow. I'm also cutting out all caffeine after 2pm. It never really affected me before (and I worked at a coffee shop!) but at this point I'm willing to try anything! Does anyone have any more natural remedies for sleeplessness?

Update: Good actual morning! I ended up getting to sleep a little after 5 and wrote around half of my paper! I'm now rushing rushing to school because Wednesday is my early start-late night day. I woolfed down a bowl of oats (HATE rushing food) and since I"ve been seeing a few other bloggers put cereal on it for a bit o texture I decided to try. Unfortunately all we had are rice crispies and they ended up being a bit of a sog-fest haha! I'm bringing an apple and some almonds to section with me and should be back home later with a bit of time to vaccuum and such. Hope you're all having an exciting hump day- let's make it through so the week's half over ;)

Update: My section was good- except it's nearly too early to think. Plus, as I got out I got to see this:

Yes, that would be my bus (and I, not on it, haha). Luckily it's a really nice day out. Sunny and bright but very cold and slightly windy. Crisp and fallish, I'd call it. I walked home with a view of the bay in my sights. It was really gorgeous and the perfect way to sort my paper thoughts and clear my head before having to come home and write some more! Only I kind of wished I had a hat which covered my ears after about a half hour, but I was a few steps away from home, so it wasn't bad at all. 

For lunch I needed something I could just stick in the oven and forget about till it was done.

I made a pizza on a whole wheat tortilla with chicken, spinach, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and 'no-salt garlic and herb' spice. It was warm and satisfying- perfect for a blustery day.

Off to write some more- I really want to get this done so I can relax tonight- plus, I still have two more classes to go so this is sort of the opportunity... Hope your wednesday's going by quickly!

long rainy day

Hey everyone- we're watching wheel of fortune right now so I'll attempt to keep this relatively quick. I have been lazy all day and am feeling pretty gross about it. I've either been sitting in class or sitting on the bus and am trying to remind myself that sometimes these days just happen :(

Snacked on an apple while bussing it to school. I forgot to take a picture, so I went ahead and posted the one I tried to a while ago showing just how thoroughly I enjoy a good apple!

My first class was great. I got our first tri-term back and ended up doing really well, so hopefully that will take some pressure off of the next one! Unfortunately, that's not the class for which the current paper I'm working on is due... alas. I knew that I needed some good brain fuel for my meeting with the T.A. about this paper so I stopped by the cafe for...

some trail mix fun and excitement

This mix consists of sunflower seeds, raisins, cashews, peanuts, and dried blueberries.

 Throughout the day I finished about half of it. While walking to the library (in the rain!) I also had half a sandwich.

Ham, swiss, lettuce and tomato on Marble Rye

This bread was amazing. In fact, it's pretty much the reason I chose this sandwich as I usually don't love ham. I really dislike eating on the run, but some days there's no other option.

My meeting with the T.A. helped a ton!! The paper's still going to be a lot of work, naturally, but I'm comfortable with my thesis and excited with where it could go. Plus, I offered the T.A. a bite of my trail mix And shared my umbrella- he owes me ;) We got so wrapped up in the topic that, by the time I looked at my phone/watch, I was late for my huge lecture! Well, I'm gonna admit it to you guys- I ditched *shrug* I had been damp and lazy all day and was underdressed for the cold, and by the time I made it to where the class was I spotted the only bus that goes to my house. What's a gal to do? 

Plus, I was way too excited to come home and make some brain food. I grilled up 5oz of salmon that I had seasoned with copious amounts of dill and a bit of spicy brown mustard. Being part Swedish, I love me some dill! Since I had the grill pan out already I prepared white asparagus my favorite way- they become so sweet and tender when grilled. I also sauteed up zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, onions and garlic and laid it all on a few cups of spinach. The healthy fat in the salmon should keep my mind active for a late brainstorming extravaganza- and I may be back for something sweet later... guess we'll see. But for now I'm going to lurk a bit and check my fave blogs!

A mess of things

For lunch I ended up making a huge mess! No, not literally- a Sammie mess ;) I put together 1 1/2 cups of plain yogurt, 1/2 cup of frozen berries, some chopped almonds and 1/2 cup of fiber one and stirred it all together. It was the perfect thing to settle my stomach.

(sorry for the lack of picture, I didn't even think of it because one of my roommates turned on Iron Man, haha)

That held me over for a long time. For some reason I've been insatiably thirsty All day! I've filled up my 24 oz. water jug (literally) 3 1/2 times as well as having a few cups of tea and (I'll admit it) 2 sodas. Why??

Dinner consisted of a grilled chicken hot dog, tons of zucchini, mushrooms, and yellow squash sauteed in olive oil and cajun spices (wanted a bit of heat) and a lot of mashed cauliflower with garlic, herbs, and 'salt.' 

I got to use 2 of my favorite kitchen tools for this meal: my grill pan and my immersion blender (post about kitchen tools at some point). Also, I'm a giant believer in the power of herbs and spices: they bring out and enhance natural flavors tomake everything taste epic (esp. garlic, haha, good thing my bf likes it too). 

This is the 'salt' I was talking about. I learned about from my geology professor last year, of all people! It is actually Potassium Chloride instead of Sodium Chloride. When used in cooking it tastes just the same as salt; however, some people think that it has a stronger or more acidic flavor which, I'll admit, it does when used on raw things. I think it's a great option to get a bit more potassium (pretty negligible amount) and cut down on overall sodium intake since packaged foods tend to contain exorbitant amounts. 

Also, I use this "No-Salt Garlic and Herbs" spice on nearly everything. There's this man who used to be at the Farmer's Market in Southern California and would make his own spices, specializing in the 'no-salt' variety. When Stephen told me he was moving inland I nearly cried! Okay, not actually, but I did insist on getting his email and have him send me spices when I run out- there are just So many varieties (the Cajun Spice I also used today is the best I've tasted, CitrusPepper sensation, etc.)

 I highly recommend No-Salt spices in general just because pre-mixed spices tend to consist of mostly salt and you can always add it in if needed.

Dessert of some sort will probably come later as I'll be up late, for various reasons. My roommates are obsessed with 'Desperate Housewives' and, though I've never seen it before the last episode, it's a fun bonding moment to watch it with them. Also, at the beginning of this week I definitely have two looong tri-term papers due and need to get a good start on one tonight as I'm meeting with the T.A. to discuss it tomorrow. It's all really interesting and I don't mind paper writing, it's just a lot of time consuming effort. Perhaps next time I won't procrastinate- likely! 

But right now I'm going to procrastinate just a little more in order to check some blogs ;)

damp...

Yup, Definitely residual Halloween tattoo action...

That's how I'm feeling right now, haha! It has been a Super wet day here- in fact, it's the first time I've busted out my ski jacket (bought because I'm a southern california raised girl going to school in northern california where the weather is... wet). 

View from my 'Patio Kiosk'

Well, work today wasn't bad at all. I work at the gym sitting in a little kiosk outside, swiping people's cards to make sure they're students. 

Before work I heated up some awesome Lentil Soup in the microwave, sat down and had it with some crackers and two Pineapple Guavas! (I def. should have taken a picture of the fruit, but I had accidently locked my camera in my locker). These fruits are amazing. I was at Safeway checking out the fruits and started talking to this woman about what is in season- all of a sudden she says "My pineapple guava tree is overrun with fresh fruit, let me set a bag out for you to pick up later." She gives me her address and next thing you know, I have a giant bag of fresh fruit! I think it's really important to be friendly and have a fresh attitude because you never know, well, who will give you some pineapple guava!

While in my little Kiosk I had a Big mug of tea (you will see, I am a Huge tea fan- if I blogged all the tea I drink it would be about half of the blog content!).

My shift ended as the gym closed! I thought that it would still be open for a couple of hours and I could get a bit of exercise in. It's been So rainy today that I hardly went outside so I'm feeling a bit lazed, but oh well. I've been doing lots of walking recently so I'm not too bothered.

Hmm, blogger's being silly and won't let me post a picture of my apple (before and after)- but suffice it to say that I Love green apples and the New Leaf within walking distance of our apartment sells 3lb bags of Giant, organic, locally grown Newton Pippin apples for $3.00: not too shabby! I took an after picture because, slightly embarrassing, but when I eat an apple I Really eat it. I mean, the core is left... but hardly :/ haha

I have opinions of organic/locally grown food that I'll get into in another post (basically, great idea if you can afford it, prefer local to organic actually, and am obsessed with farmer's markets because they make me happy and everything's really colorful)- but at the moment I severely need to scrounge up some good eats for dinner!

I'm thinking some sort of makeshift pizza... I defrosted some tofu this morning, so a tofu scramble on tortilla extravaganza, perchance? Now I'm hungry! Back with dinner.

Also, I'm pretty sure John McCain is making an appearance on Saturday Night Live tonight. No matter how you feel about the election (or SNL these days, for that matter!) it should be interesting...